BEIRUT — Palestinian armed factions on Tuesday conducted large-scale military maneuvers in the Gaza Strip, coinciding with the 18th anniversary of the Israeli withdrawal from the coastal enclave.
The maneuvers, dubbed Hard Corner 4, were held for the fourth year in a row by the so-called Joint Operations Room of the Palestinian Resistance Factions, which includes the armed wings of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad as well as 10 other factions in the Gaza Strip.
The Islamic Jihad’s Al-Quds Brigade said on its website that the drills aim to showcase the readiness and ongoing preparations of the armed factions to confront Israel. The brigade published photos of the military exercises, showing masked fighters using heavy weapons and simulating ground attacks.
The Joint Operations Room also released a video of the drills, which included the launching of long-range rockets toward the Mediterranean Sea. The video also showed fighters in scuba gear conducting drills off Gaza’s coast.
